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R. E. HEYN GARMENT May 26, 1931.

Filed Sept. 5, 1950 PMNEN l Patented May 26, 1931 UNITED ystares PATENT yOFFICEl ROBERT E. HEYN, oF SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY,l AssrcfNon` fro THEB. V. n. OOM- PANY, INC., E NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE GARMENT Y Application led September 3, v1930. Serial No. 479,493. p

This invention relates to undergarmentsof the union suit type and 1s concerned more particularly with a union suit which 1s provided with the usual elastic insert at thewhich withstand the strains incident to bending by the wearer and the stretching apart of the edges of the crotch opening.

In union suit undergarments as ordinarily constructed, the back is made of upper and lower sections and between these sections is an elastic insert usually formed of a lstrip of knitted fabric sewn in position 'with the wales of the fabric extending horizontally.

Such garments are provided with a crotch garment at the point where the lower section of the back is connected to the insert and because of that strain, the material of the back is likely to be torn away from the'insert near the point wherethe overlapping portions are connected to the insert.

Also, in such garments with the conventional crotch opening,y bending forward by the wearer imposes a strain' on the insert which is localized at points spaced on Opposite sides of the median line. During such bending, a stretching -force is applied to the garment'at thevtwo shoulder straps and this force is resisted by the crotch portion of the garment. The strain is imposed along lines which extend .from the straps toward the crotch and pass through'the insertat either side of the middle of the back, and in the ordinary garment, the elastic webbing is likely to be pulled or torn loose from the back fabric at the points where these strains are applied.

In order to overcome these weaknesses in the ordinary union suit garment, I have devised a garment in which reinforcing means are provided to strengthen the elastic insert without increased labor cost. The reinforcements are of elastic material so that their presence does not interfere with free body movement of the wear and they add greatly to the life of the garment. l

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view of the union suit garment embodying the invention seen from the rear;

Fig. 2 is a front View of the garment with the leg portions folded upwardly to illustrate the crotch construction; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views on the lines 3 3 and 4 4, respectively, of Fig. 1.

. Referring now to the drawings, the garment illustrated is of standard construction and includes a front made up of vertical sections 10 and 11 which overlap to provide the front opening closedV by buttons 12. These front portions are cut to provide the usual armholes and neck opening separated by shoulder straps 13.` The back of the garment is made in the form of an upper section 14 and a lower section 15, these sections being separated by an elastic insert'lG. Ordinarily the upper section of the back isv made of two pieces of materialstitched together along the middle line 17 of the-back and each section terminates ina shoulder strap which is connected to the shoulder strap ofthe appropriate front section of the garment. The elastic insert is usually made of knittedV fabric which is placedy so that the wales thereof eX- tend in a horizontal direction, the insert consequently having elasticity in a direction lengthwise of the garment.

In the conventional garment of this type,

the lower section ofthe back is made of two main pieces connected together alongv the center line `17 and one of these Vpieces 15a is made of two port-ions which overlap to provide a crotch opening 18. This opening is somewhat curved and extends from the insert at one side of the median line down to the leg seam 19,

and the two overlapping portions of the gar-v IHR ment at the opening are normally kept closed by means of a button and buttonhole at the point 20. In constructing the garment, the two portions of the back which define the fr opening are placed in position with their U m that to open the crotch opening, the two portions of the back which overlap at the opening must be separated and a strain is thereby likely to be imposed on the garment at the point 22 where the overlapping portions are conm; nected to the elastic insert. Also, when the wearer bends forward, a strain is imposed on the garment at the shoulder straps which is resisted by binding of the garment in the vicinity of the crotch 23. This bending ai strain causes the elastic insert to stretch and the strains imposed on the insert are localized along lines which extend from the shoulder straps toward the crotch and pass through the insert at either side of the middle line of the zback. Because of these strains7 the garment is likely, in the course of time, to become torn along the lines of stitching which connect the insert to the main portions of the back.

In order to strengthen the garment in the 2?@ regions where stra-ins are imposed, I provide reinforcements 24 and 25 placed one on each side of the middle line of the garment and eX- tending across the elastic insert. Preferably Vthe reinforcements are of knitted material and consist of portions of material doubled upon themselves to provide two thicknesses, these reinforcements being secured in place at top and bottom by lines of stitching which secure the insert to the other portions of the back. Preferably the reinforcing straps are secured to the garment only at their top and bottom ends and since they are made of elastic fabric placed with the wales extending horizontally, they do not interfere with the yieldi.; ing of the insert. If desired, however, the reinforcements may be made by forming plaits in the insert itself. In either arrangement there are three thicknesses of material extending across the insert at the reinforced i points.

The reinforcement Q-l is placed in vertical alignment with the top of the crotch opening and accordingly lies at one side of the middle line of the back, while the reinforcement 25 is placed on the other side of the middle line of the back. Both insertsV lie along the lines of strain imposed on the garm-ent when the wearer bends, and the reinforcement 24 further withstands strains imposed by the separation of the overlapping portions of the garment at the crotch opening. The insert 24: also provides additional thickness of material at the point where the two overlapping portions of the back defining the crotch opening. are connected to the insert, and because of the additional material, an unusually strong connection can be made between those overlapping portions and the insert. When the portions are pulled apart in use, a severe strain is placed on the stitching by which the portions are held in overlapped relation and connected to the insert and also on the Web along the line of stitching. In my new garment, that strain is resisted by the increased strength of the connection made possible by the extra. thicknesses of material provided by insert 24.

The reinforcements are preferably made of the same material as the insert and in the construction of the garment, the reinforcements are laid in proper position on the insert and then stitchedv to the other portions of the back of the garment by the same operations used for the purpose of securing the insert in place. Accordingly, provision of the reinforcements adds but little to the material cost of the garment and practically no additional labor is required.

That I claim:

A garment of the union suit type which comprises a back made up of a top portion and a bottom portion connected by a yieldable insert of knitted elastic fabric in which the wales extend horizontally, said insert extend'- ing across the back between the top and bottom portions, said bottom having a crotch opening defined by portions normally overlappin0- at their edges, said opening terminating at the lower edge of the insert at one side of the median line of the back and substantially in the zone of strain extending from the crotch diagonally to one of the shoulders of the garment, a fabric reinforcement comprising elastic knitted fabric with the wales extending horizontally and having the side edges folded between the reinforce-` ment and the garment, said reinforcementextending in vertical alignment with the end of said crotch opening, stitching connecting the upper edge of the insert and the upper edge of the reinforcement to the top portion of the back and the lower edge of the reinforcement and insert to the bottom portion of the back, affording an'additional thickness of material at the place of stitching, and a second fabric reinforcement symmetrically located with respect to said first reinforcement on the other side of said garment and lying substantially in the zone of strain ex tending diagonally from the crotch to the other shoulder portion of said garment?.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

ROBERT E. I-IEYN. 

